Agency Reportedly Lacks Resources to Implement FSMA
Testifying before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce
Committee on February 5, 2014, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor said
that, while the agency has enough resources to issue the final rules for the
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), it lacks the resources to implement
them.
“We will continue efforts to make the best use of the resources we have, but
simply put, we cannot achieve FDA’s vision of a modern food safety system
and a safer food supply without a significant increase in resources,” Taylor said
in his testimony.
When FSMA was approved in 2010, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that FDA would need an increase of more than $580 million to fund the expanded food safety activities. Noting that FDA “cannot do all that is asked without additional resources,” Taylor cited in particular new FSMA mandates regarding imported food that place increased responsibility and burden on U.S. importers. “Without adequate funding, FDA will be unable to adequately fulfill its oversight responsibilities,” he said. “This includes implementing the Foreign Supplier Verification Program; conducting more foreign inspections; working more closely on food safety with foreign governments to leverage their efforts; and improving data and import systems to facilitate prompt entry of foods that meet safety standards.” Implementation of FSMA is set to begin after all final rules are published in June 2015. See FoodSafetyTech.com, February 6, 2014.
Issue 513
